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The announcement that NASCAR Winston Cup stars, led by Dale Earnhardt, would stage an exhibition race November 30 at Suzuka Circuit in Japan prompted a deluge of angry letters to the editors of hard-core racing newspapers. Yet, there was no indication Indy Car fans were anything but pleased that the PPG Indy Car World Series likely would appear at a different Japanese racetrack in ’97.

Although the race at Suzuka Circuit, which also hosts the Japanese Grand Prix, is listed on NASCAR’s Winston West schedule as a non-points, invitational event, fans-especially those living outside the Southeast, where most Winston Cup races are run-vehemently objected to a race date going to a Japanese rather than U.S. track that lacks a Cup date. Their anger was fueled when, in January, promoters shipped a pair of Winston Cup Monte Carlos-one of Richard Childress Racing’s black racers and the No. 4 Morgan-McClure show car-to Japan for a demonstration run on the circuit’s 1.4-mile east course. After Earnhardt hammered his familiar black No. 3 around for several laps, the Childress crew demonstrated a Winston Cup pit stop.

Meanwhile, Indy Car fans, perhaps distracted by the civil war raging in that form of the sport, expressed no objection that at least one Indy series might visit Japan as early as next season. Honda Motor Co., which also owns Suzuka, is building a new race facility-billed as the largest construction project in Japan-that will include a major-league oval track. This fits nicely with the interest top Honda officials have expressed in bringing Indy Car racing to Japan.

Called “Twin-Ring Motegi,” the facility will feature both a three-mile, 14-turn road course and a separate 1.5-mile, low-banked, asymmetrical oval. Unlike American ovals, this design intentionally employs different radii at each end of the speedway, the tighter turn featuring a modest 10-degree bank and the more open end an almost-flat five degrees.

Between the Winston Cup Series and the Indy Car series, racing may help the United States’ balance of trade problems with Japan.

Aligning With Le MansWith an eye on adding international flavor, SCCA Pro Racing has adopted rules of two classes from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Global Endurance GT series. With altered nomenclature and some slight administrative changes, the SCCA used Le Mans’ ’96 GT-1 and GT-2 rules as the basis for its World Challenge series’ Grand Sports class. For fans, this opens the opportunity to see the likes of the McLaren F1 GTR, Ferrari F40, and Dodge Viper GTS-R competing on U.S. soil, plus its offers the potential for more Americans to enter the Le Mans classic.

Two, Two, Two Tracks In OneWhen planning the new Texas Motor Speedway, now approaching completion near Fort Worth, owner Bruton Smith demanded it be a near copy of another of the tracks he owns, the Charlotte Motor Speedway. But track manager Eddie Gossage knew copying Charlotte’s 24-degree banking would make the 1.5-mile Texas track too fast for Indy cars. (Despite lowered boost, Indy cars average more than 230 mph around the 20-degree banking on the slightly longer Michigan International Speedway.) So the pair came up with an innovative solution that met both needs: Inside the main 24-degree banked corners will be a 45-foot wide apron banked at an Indy car-friendly eight degrees. Stock cars will race on the upper banking, Indy cars on the lower surface.

In addition to the Texas and Charlotte tracks, Smith owns Atlanta Motor Speedway and has partial interests in North Wilkesboro Speedway and North Carolina Motor Speedway. In January, he purchased Bristol International Raceway. Speculation is that Smith will move one or more of these tracks’ Winston Cup dates to the Texas track.

Fourth TurnHawaiian Vacation: Once you’ve negotiated the 617 curves on the dramatic road to Hana, submerged 50 feet below the Pacific Ocean in an Atlantis submarine, and enjoyed a Kenai helicopter tour of the lush locales that served as the backdrop for “Jurassic Park,” what’s an adventurer on a Hawaiian vacation to do? Sign up for a three-hour driving course at Hawaii International Racing School, of course. The $225 “Introduction to Racing” includes classroom instruction and about an hour tearing around the 1.32-mile Hawaii Raceway Park road course in an SCCA Spec Racer. Contact Hawaii International Racing School, 91-201 Malakole St., Dept. MT, Kapolei, HI 96707; 808/673-1601….The Wee Scot Returns: Ford Motor Company will pay more than $150 million over five years to back a new Formula One team founded by three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart. The team will contest the World Championship starting in ’97 with cars it will build itself, to be called “Stewart-Fords.” Initial power will come from the new Ford V-10 Formula One engine that debuted this year. The driver lineup remains uncertain….Aurora for ’97 Indy 500: Oldsmobile became the first manufacturer to announce it will build an engine to meet the new rules for Tony George’s upstart Indy Racing League, a series that includes the Indy 500. Although, as per IRL regulations, it will employ the same bore cylinder spacing, 90-degree V-angle, and DOHC valvetrain as the road-going Aurora V-8, the 4.0-liter, alcohol-burning racing mill will share no components with its stock sibling. A gasoline-fired version of the race engine powered the winner of the ’96 Rolex 24 at Daytona….Racing Riches: Four racing drivers made Forbes magazine’s Super 40, a list of the top-earning athletes in ’95. World Driving Champion Michael Schumacher, who earned $10 million in salary and $5 million in endorsements, was 10th on the list but will undoubtedly move up on next year’s roster, thanks to his new $20-million contract with Ferrari. Another F1 driver, Gerhard Berger, was 13th with $13.5 million in earnings. Although he reaped only $2.4 million in salary and winnings, Winston Cup star Dale Earnhardt took the 20th spot on the list, thanks to his cut-worth almost $6 million-of the $50 million of Earnhardt souvenirs sold last year. With $8 million in earnings, F1 driver Jean Alesi was 22nd. Heading the list was basketball player Michael Jordan, who took in a record $40 million in endorsement income and licensing royalties….New Name: For its sophomore season, the “NASCAR SuperTruck Series by Craftsman” has been renamed the “NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.” Craftsman signed on to be the series’ title sponsor for the next five years.

In January, Dale Earnhardt (standing next to Japanese stock car driver Akaihiko Nakaya) gave Japanese fans a taste of what to expect this November when NASCAR Winston Cup stars run a demonstration race at Japan’s Suzuka Circuit.

Honda’s new “Twin-Ring Motegi” will feature both a three-mile, 14-turn road course and a separate 1.5-mile, low-banked, asymmetrical oval.

Cars like this McLaren F1, shown competing in last year’s Global Endurance Series, are now eligible for SCCA’s World Challenge series.

Texas Motor Speedway officials have yet to figure out how to keep Indy drivers from running on the high banks, or stock-car drivers from passing on the low banks.